Join a new programme by smartocto, Dmitry Shishkin and FT Strategies. Over the course of a year, this programme helps news publishers strengthen their audience centric storytelling through data and AI.

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What is User Needs Labs?

Each year, smartocto selects 10 to 15 international news brands to take part in User Needs Labs for news content. This exclusive programme enables organisations to explore, learn and implement the User Needs Model for News with direct support from industry experts.

What is included in User Needs Labs?

A full year of smartocto’s editorial analytics suite

  • Dashboards, reports, A B testing and more
  • All AI powered features: headline alternatives, AI content tagger, Decisions, smart notifications and article suggestions

Training and knowledge sessions (first 6 months)

  • Expert, structured training from the world’s leading specialists on user needs for news and audience strategy, including Dmitry Shishkin
  • Six monthly online masterclasses of two hours each on user needs, content planning, conversions, loyalty, engagement and related topics
  • Analysis of at least 5,000 articles to understand your current performance and uncover opportunities for improvement. This serves as the baseline report
  • Four private one to one sessions of two hours each to support implementation

What previous participants say

"The experiments we conducted during User Needs Labs contributed to better journalism. The discussions in the editorial team became sharper. We managed to find more balance in the various needs that exist among our audience."
- Peter Knol, data analyst @ Nederlands Dagblad

During the User Needs Labs project, it felt like a big relief to see that other media are experiencing the same problems. And that we can help each other move forward when we use the same editorial language.
- Johanna Käkönen, digital producer @ Turun Sanomat

Action and optimisation (final 6 months)

  • Monthly check ins
  • Support to operationalise the user needs approach and connect it to your specific business challenges
  • Help with ongoing use of smartocto’s editorial analytics suite
  • Collaboration with FT Strategies, the global leader in business consultancy

Who can join?

  • Publishers and newsrooms
  • Broadcasters and media companies
  • Content teams with a multi platform strategy
  • Organisations committed to user needs and actionable data

Typical participants include:
Editor in Chief, Audience Engagement Manager, Social Media Manager, Data Analyst, Editorial Staff, Product Owner, Digital or Innovation Manager

Pricing
Participation in User Needs Labs 3.0 starts at €25,000.

Final pricing depends on:

  • Monthly traffic (data costs)
  • Number of brands included
  • Desired tech feature set

Interested? Contact request@smartocto.com to discuss your participation. Or fill in the form below.